I can't import pdfs from Ebsco

TomaszSmyk

Hi, recently I noticed that my Plug in for Safari does not import pdfs from Ebsco data base. Instead of that there is only a link to the Ebsco database and that's it. I do not have the same problem with Jstor database. Is there a particular reason for that? In the case of Ebsco I need to download the articles manually and make a link to the file stored on my Mac.
It is worth noting that I have access to all databases through my university library.

I am just wondering if it is a particular thing about Ebsco or there is something wrong with the plug-in?

many thanks.

adamsmith

if you're going through a proxy (i.e. accessing from off campus) that's a known issue with the connectors and some sites (most notably EBSCO and Proquest).

TomaszSmyk

I am afraid it does not matter whether I go through uni network or the one at home. Really do not know what it is.

adamsmith

OK, troubleshoot this next time you're at uni so we can exclude other factors. For a start, we'd want both the URL exactly as you see it in the URL bar and the permalink (which you can get at the right on the EBSCO interface). We'd also want to know what it says when you hover over the URL bar icon (It will start with "Save to Zotero"--it's the part after that we're interested in).

TomaszSmyk

Hi Adam,
This is what I see when I have an article open (being at uni)
http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.lib.bbk.ac.uk/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=12&sid=4887985c-dd0f-4e77-9d6d-65e8d5a52edd%40sessionmgr4002&hid=4101

And this is where stand alone Zotero directs me (also being at uni being connected to the same uni network)
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=buh&AN=16224232&site=ehost-live

aurimas

PDF imports will not currently work when using Zotero Standalone and accessing websites via proxies. Sorry.

TomaszSmyk

Aurimas,

But it is ok with JStore database. How is that possible? I think there is something with my settings, or this is because of the Business Source Premiere database which blocks this feature.

aurimas

Is JSTOR also accessed over proxy?

TomaszSmyk

To be honest I do not know about the IT settings but here it is the link which I opened in JSTOR and it was downloaded by the Zotero Standalone perfectly..

http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.lib.bbk.ac.uk/stable/10.2307/3552507?Search=yes&resultItemClick=true&searchText=unemployment&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dunemployment%26amp%3Bacc%3Don%26amp%3Bwc%3Don%26amp%3Bfc%3Doff

please help..

adamsmith

I'm pretty sure aurimas is wrong about this as a general issue. PDFs will download via connectors from many sites even when going through a proxy. What _is_ the case, though, is what I wrote above, i.e.

if you're going through a proxy (i.e. accessing from off campus) that's a known issue with the connectors and some sites (most notably EBSCO and Proquest).

(In terms of technical details, the reason is that the PDFs are under a different domain than the page you're saving from)

That means whenever the URL contains the "ezproxy" part, this will fail for you on EBSCO. From campus, though you wouldn't need this, so instead of http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.lib.bbk.ac.uk/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=12&sid=4887985c-dd0f-4e77-9d6d-65e8d5a52edd@sessionmgr4002&hid=4101

you could just use
http://web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=12&sid=4887985c-dd0f-4e77-9d6d-65e8d5a52edd@sessionmgr4002&hid=4101

You should still be able to access the resource and downloading the PDF should work.

amsicari

Ok so then I have a related question. If there are problems with library databases and proxies in Zotero Stand Alone, what is the benefit of using it instead of Zotero for FF? I checked the help file and FAQs and it looks like the connectors for the other browsers can be saved into the FF Zotero library... so why use Zotero Stand Alone?? I'm hosting a workshop in the Library and creating a recording of it, so I would appreciate knowing why I should promote Stand Alone.

Thanks,
Andrea

adamsmith

Well, the issue with PDF import via proxies is technically an issue of the connectors*, not of Zotero Standalone, so saving from the connectors to Zotero for FF has the same problem.

The main reason people will want to use Standalone is simply because they're not using Firefox as their main browser. For those users, it makes little sense to have full Firefox running in the background just for Zotero. There are some other minor advantages--e.g. you don't have to have any browser open while writing, which removes an unwelcome source of distraction--but using Chrome or Safari is really the main reason.

Should you "promote" it? I don't know - most librarians I know prefer the Firefox version, in particular for teaching and just mention the Standalone version as an option for those swearing by other browsers in their workshops.

*with Standalone open, Zotero for Firefox goes into "connector mode," so same issue there.

TomaszSmyk

Thank you adamsmith, so do I understand well? If I install Firefox and use Zotero with this browser the problem with downloading pdf-s to Zotetro stand alone should disappear?

adamsmith

As long as you have Standalone closed while importing, yes. Since the databases are shared, you can still use Standalone e.g. while writing.

efilgo

Can I jump in on this issue to ask something?

It was said above that "if you're going through a proxy (i.e. accessing from off campus) that's a known issue with the connectors and some sites (most notably EBSCO and Proquest). "

Can someone update me on whether this is being worked on to fix it? I never knew this was an issue until a professor contacted me to complain that her zotero was broken because no PDFs were downloading. Of course, everything worked fine when she brought her computer to me on campus. I did some investigating myself off campus tonight as I suspected that was the problem. And it didn't work for me either. Then I found this thread.

Any updates?

aurimas

Better to start a new thread for this issue and provide specific details (URLs of the pages, browser versions, Zotero versions, Zotero connector versions), but in general the situation should be improved. Downloading PDFs over proxy through connectors is still probably going to be somewhat broken on Safari, but Chrome/Opera and Firefox (in connector mode) should be working. (I haven't tested this in some time though).